Coin changer mechanism



Jan. 20, 1970 J. A. BAUER V COIN CHANGER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 29, 1967 FIG.3.

INVENTOR James A Bauer ATTORNEY WITNESSES Jan. 20, 1970 J. A. BAUER COINCHANGER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1967 25" FIGS.

FIGS.

Jan. 20, 1970 Filed Nov. 29, 1967 J A. BAUER COIN CHANGER MECHANI-SM 3Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG IO.

United States Patent 3,490,571 COIN CHANGER MECHANISM James A. Bauer,Monroeville, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 29, 1967, Ser.No. 686,521 Int. Cl. G07f /24 US. Cl. 19410 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A coin responsive vending control and change maker havingfirst and second coin detectors with means to route all coins equal toor above the vend price past the first detector to initiate a vend andto route all coins equal to more than the vend price past both the firstand second detectors to initiate a vend and actuate change means toreturn change coins and further including switch means to cause thechange means to return change in a combination of coin denominations orin a single coin denomination if the combination is not available. Highspeed pulse generating techniques coupled to pulse operated solenoidchange coin release mechanisms provide fast response.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS So far as is known, thisapplication is not related to any co-pending patent applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Coin controls for vending machines havingmeans for returning change are well known. Most of these devices inpractical use at this time are of the electro rnechanical type usingcoin sensing switches and stepping relays to provide the functions ofreceived coin counting and change making. It is desirable to reduce thesize and complexity of these mechanisms and the availability of solidstate relays and counting circuits together with new electronic forms ofsensing devices enable the design of less complex and more compactarrangements giving increased reliability and faster speed of operation.

PRIOR ART Reference may be made to US. Patents No. 3,307,- 671 toShirley issued Mar. 7, 1967, and 3,323,626 to Akira Abe et al. issuedJune 6, 1967, as typical of the solid state forms of the prior art coinchangers. Reference may also be made to US. Patent 2,257,132 toChristensen issued Apr. 1, 1941, showing the general use of photocellsas coin detectors.

SUMMARY In accordance with the invention, a vending control and coinchanger arranged to vend at a fixed price such as ten cents, and to givechange for a quarter is provided using only a single photocell forsensing the collection of every other nickel, the collection of a singledime, or the collection of a single quarter to initiate a vend. A secondphotocell for sensing the collection of the quarter only is provided. toinitiate a coin return in the amount of fifteen cents preferentially inthe form of a nickel and a dime. If a dime is not available, the changeis returned in the form of three nickels. Sensing switches in the coinstorage tubes will return to the customer and not collect all quartercoins without a vend if there are insufficient coins in both nickel anddime tubes to make the fifteen cents change in either the all nickel orcombination nickel and dime forms. An important feature and advantage ofthe invention is the elimination of "ice counting circuits or relays tocount the coins received and a simple pulsing circuit is provided toautomatically pulse the solenoid operated change release mechanisms.Preferentially, both the nickel and dime tube solenoid releasemechanisms are pulsed substantially simultaneously with the pulsing ofthe vend relay whenever a quarter coin is collected, assuming thepresence of sufficient coins in the nickel and dime storage tubes tomake change. If there are insuflicient dimes, a switch in the dimestorage tube will cause the circuit to pulse the nickel change solenoidthree times for change payout. If both storage tubes are empty, aquarter coin is not collected and returned without passing either of thephotocell sensors to initiate a vend, or to make change, and a no changesignal may be displayed. However, the arrangement is such that thechanger is still responsive to nickels and dimes for intitiating a vendwhen such coins are received and such coins are accumulated in storagetubes for future change making operations which will again be possibleafter sufiicient numbers of coins are in the storage tubes to actuatethe coin tube switches for conditioning the change making functions ofthe system. Although this invention is particularly described inconnection with a photoelectric type of coin sensing arrangement using asingle light source and two photocells, certain features of theinvention as will 'be apparent hereinafter are usable with other typesof coin sensing devices such as pick-up coils or the like. Furtherfeatures and advantages of the invention will be apparent with referenceto the following specifications and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional sideview through the lower end of the coin slug rejector and the coindirector passages of the invention with the light source and photocelldetectors shown in the preferred arrangement;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views on the line H ll of FIGURE 1showing the paths of passage for alternate successively collectednickels;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view as seen from above on the line VV of FIGURE 4showing the different vertical planes of the coin director paths fordifferent denomination coins to 'be collected;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but taken on line VIVI of FIGURE 1to show the coin director path for the dime coin to be collected;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 but taken on the line VIIVII ofFIGURE 1 to show the coin director path for the quarter coin to becollected;

FIG. 8 is a detalied fragmentary vertical section of one of the coinstorage tubes showing the details of the solenoid operated coin payoutchange mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 but showing the solenoid of thechange making mechanism in the energized position as a change coin isbeing released; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic wiring diagram of the vending control and coinchanger circuit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED- EMBODIMENT Reference will now be made toFIGURES 1 through 7 of the drawings for a description of the details ofthe coin sensing apparatus of the invention. The coin sensing apparatusof the invention is designed to match the lower end of a standard formof slug rejector commonly in use at this time. An example of such a slugrejector is the slug rejector made by the National Rejectors Co. .of St.Louis, Mo. identified as their Model No. 1l5054. As is Well known in theart, these slug rejectors are necessary to sort the nickel, dime andquarter coin and to separate and reject all counterfeit coins or slugs.The

sorted coins are passed from the bottom of the slug rejector in threediiferent respective vertical planes for the respective different coins,i.e. nickels, dimes and quarters. As seen more particularly in FIGURES 1and 5 of the drawings, the nickel coins passed by the slug rejector aredropped in the vertical plane towards the front of the rejector whilethe dime coins are passed in the vertical plane 11 rearwardly of thevertical plane 10 and the quarter coins are passed in the vertical plane12 furthest to the rear of the slug rejector. The nickels passingthrough the vertical plane 10 are caused to engage the flip-flopmechanism 14 which is a standard feature of all slug rejectors and inpassing the flip-flop 14 alternate successive nickels are passed in twoalternately different directions. It is assumed that the flip-flop 14 atthe start of a coin collection operation is in the position shown byFIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings. The first nickel 15 in passing throughthe passage 16 pivots the flip-flop 14 from the position shown in FIGURE3 to the position shown in FIGURE 4 and moves downwardly to hit theshoulder 17 of the coin director and bounce into the nickel storage tube18 without passing the photocell coin detecting aperture 19. The secondnickel received then engages the flip-flop 14 in the position shown byFIGURE 2 of the drawings and follows the second path to pass the coinsensing photocell aperture 19 before being deflected by the shoulder 17into the nickel receiving tube 18. When the coin nickels accumulated inthe storage tube 18 are sufficient to substantially fill the storagetube as shown by FIGURE 3 of the drawings, a nickel such as the nickel20 will remain in the position shown so that a subsequent nickelreceived will be deflected from the change making storage collectiontube 18 through the passage 21 to the passage 22 leading to the moneybox.

When a dime coin is deposited, it is routed by the slug rejector intothe vertical passage 11 and into the coin director passage 24 shown byFIGURE 6 of the drawings past the photocell coin sensing aperture 19into the dimestorage tube 25 of the change maker and when the level ofaccumulated dimes reaches near the top of the storage tube the nextreceived dime such as the dime 26 will assume the vertical positionshown so that a subsequently received dime will be deflected therebyinto the passage 22 leading to the money box.

As shown by FIGURE 7 of the drawings, any quarter coin passed by theslug rejector through passage 12 will also pass into the passage 30 ofthe coin director of the invention to be passed in front of the coinsensing photocell aperture 19 and also the coin sensing photocellaperture 31 directly to the passage 22 leading to to the money box.

The details of the coin sensing photocell and light arrangement are mostclearly shown by FIGURE 1 of the drawings with the light source 35positioned to direct beams of light through both the apertures 19 and 31to impinge upon the respective photocell detecting elements 36 and 37.Thus the photocells 36 and 37 are illuminated except when a coin 15passing through a respective coin director passage and momentarilyintercepts the light through either the apertures 19 and 31. Summarizingthe description of the invention thus far, it will be seen that coindirector apparatus has been provided to route different denominationcoins in different paths past either one of the apertures 19 and 31 forthe coin sensing photocells 36 and 37 respectively. In such manner,every other nickel collected intercepts the beam of light in theaperture 19 impinging on the photocell '36 while every dime collectedalso intercepts the beam of light in the aperture 19 the same as everyquarter collected intercepts the light in the aperture 19 impinging onthe photocell 36. Thus when any coin equal to or above a vend price often cents is collected a beam of light impinging upon the photocell 36is momentarily interrupted to trigger the control circuit of theinvention to initiate a vend signal to the vending machine. In additionwhenever a quarter coin is collected, it passes in the passage 30 tointercept the beam of light through both the apertures 19 and 31 so thatin addition to triggering the photocell 36, the photocell 37 istriggered when the light beam impinging thereon is momentarilyinterrupted by the passage of the quarter coin in front of the aperture31. The signal from the photocell 37, due to the momentary interruptionof light thereupon, is connected to the control circuit of the inventionto initiate the return of change in the amount of fifteen cents in amanner to be later described in more detail.

Referring now to FIGURES 8 and 9 of the drawings, the details of thelower end of one of the change making coin collection storage tubes suchas the dime storage tube 25 are shown and will be described. A stack ofdimes 49 is shown to be supported in the lower end of the storage tube25 in suflicient amount to keep the spring pressed switch 41 in theposition shown. As long as the switch 41 is in the position shown, thecontrol circuit of the invention to be later described is conditioned topay out coin change in the form of a nickel and a dime but should thereservoir of dimes in the storage tube 25 be less than that shown, theswitch 41 will move inwardly of the storage tube and will signal thecontrol circuit of the invention to return the change in the form ofthree nickels. The nickel storage tube for change coins is not shown indetail but is similar to that of the dime tube shown by FIGURES 8 and 9of the drawings and is also provided with a sensing switch such as theswitch 41 for the dime storage tube to be switched when there areinsufficient nickels in the nickel storage tube for making fifteen centschange and this switch will cause the control circuit of the inventionto return any quarter without change and to also have displayed an exactchange sign so that the customer will not attempt to secure a vend bydepositing a quarter coin.

The lower end of each storage tube such as the dime storage tube 25 isprovided with a slide 42 having an aperture in which the lowermost dimein the stack of dimes 40 is received. An electric solenoid 43 has anarmature 44 with a pin 45 adapted to strike the toggle 46 and move theslide 42 to the right of the drawing to the position shown by FIGURE 9of the drawings when the solenoid 43 is energized. Thus the lowermostdime 42 in the stack of dimes 40 is dropped as shown to the changepayout passage of the vending machine. It should be noted that the pin45 of the armature 44 of the solenoid 43 does not engage the toggle 46until near the end of its energized stroke so that a hammer action fordesirable fast movement of the toggle 46 and coin slide 42 is obtainedwith a minimum of power required for energizing the solenoid coin. Atthe end of the pulse of electric energy applied to the solenoid 43 thespring 47 returns the coin slide 42 back to the position shown by FIG-URE 8 of the drawings so that the then lowermost dime in the stack ofdimes 40 may be received in the aperture of the coin slide 42. Thearrangement of solenoid coin release mechanism for the nickel storagetube 18 is exactly the same as the slide for the, dime storage tube justdescribed except for the size of the coin receiving aperture in the coinslide at the bottom of the storage tube.

Referring now to FIGURE 10 of the drawings, the control circuit of theinvention will be described. All of the circuit elements will not bediscussed in detail since it is believed that their function and natureis obvious to anyone skilled in the art. The photocell 36 for initiatingthe vend is connected to the circuit including the transistors 70 and 71to the vend relay 72 of the vending machine in a manner to energize thevend relay 72 upon momentary interruption of light from the light source35 upon the photocell 36 whenever coin is collected in the amount equalto or above the vend price. The change making photocell 37 is connectedin a circuit including the transistors 73 and 74 together with the dimestorage tube switch 41 in the position shown to pulse simultaneouslyboth the dime change solenoid 43 and the nickel change solenoid 43A toreturn one dime and one nickel each time a quarter coin is collected andpassed to intercept the light from the light source 35 upon thephotocell 37. If there are insuflicient dimes in the dime storage tube25, the switch 41 will be switched from the position shown to connectthe change making signal from transistor 73 to the pulsing circuitincluding transistor 7578 for connecting a series of three pulsesthrough the transistor 79 to pulse the nickel payout solenoid 43A threetimes. The diode 80 prevents the dime change solenoid 43 from beingpulsed simultaneously with the nickel solenoid 43A when the pulsingsignals are received through transistor 79. However as previouslydescribed when the dime storage tube switch 41 is in the position shownby the drawings, the single pulse signal is connected through transistor81 and diode 80 to simultaneously pulse both the dime solenoid 43 andthe nickel solenoid 43A one time. The source of operating current forall of the circuit elements of the control circuit is a conventionalsource of alternating current applied to lines 90 and 91 and to therectifying circuit including the rectifiers 92-95. A switch 96 in thenickel change storage tube 18 similar to switch 41 in the dime storagetube 25 is provided to control the operation of the coin rejectsolenoids 97 and 98. Solenoid 97 when energized will allow nickel anddime coins to be collected while solenoid 98 when energized will allowtwenty-five cent coins to be collected. With the nickel storage tubeswitch 96 in the position shown both the solenoids 97 and 98 areenergized from a source of alternating curent through line 100 and thenormally closed vending machine empty switch (not shown) so that allcoins deposited can be collected. If the vending machine is empty, thesource of alternating current in the line 100 will be interrupted by thevending machine empty switch so that neither solenoid 97 and 98 will beenergized and all coins deposited will be returned to the customer. Ifthere are insufficient nickels in the nickel storage tube 18 to enablethe payout of three nickels in change, the switch 96 will be moved fromthe position shown so that the coin return solenoid 98 will not beenergized and all quarter coins will be returned to the customer. At thesame time, electric current will be con nected to the line 101 toenergize the exact change signal sign (not shown). The switch 102 is amanual push button switch within the mechanism to enable a service manto pulse the change payout solenoids 43 and 43A for test purposes.

It is believed that the features and advantages together with thatoperation of the invention should now be apparent considering theforegoing description. It should be understood that other sensingdevices may be used in place of the photocells 36 and 37 to actuate thepulsing and signaling circuit of FIGURE in the manner described and suchcircuit changes as would be required for different electrical forms ofsensing elements would be obvious to anyone skilled in the art. Variousmodifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A coin responsive vending control system adapted to provide a vendingcontrol signal upon receipt of at least ten cents in coin and to givechange upon receipt of twenty five cents in coin comprising, only firstand second coin detectors, first coin passage means for passing adeposited dime coin past only said first detector to actuate said firstdetector, second coin passage means for passing a deposited quarter coinpast both said first and second detectors to actuate both saiddetectors, third coin passage means for passing every other one only ofa deposited nickel coin past only said first detector to actuate saidfirst detector, means responsive to the actuation of said first detectorto produce a vending control signal, a first coin storage receptacle forcollecting dime coins from said first coin passage, a second coinstorage receptacle for collecting nickel coins from said third coinpassage, change making means, means responsive to the actuation of saidsecond detector to operate said change making means to discharge onecoin respectively from each of said first and second coin receptacles,said first coin receptacle having a switch to be actuated whenever thereis less than a desired number of dime coins therein, the actuation ofsaid switch being responsive to control the operation of said changemaking means to prevent the discharge of one dime coin from said firstreceptacle and to cause three nickel coins to be discharged from saidsecond receptacle when said change making means is operated while saidswitch is actuated.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which said change making means includes afirst pulse generating means and a second pulse generating means, saidfirst and second coin receptacles having solenoid operated coindischarge means connected to said first pulse generating means to besimultaneously operated to discharge a coin from each receptacle foreach pulse generated by the first pulse generating means, the operationof said change making means by the actuation of said second detectorbeing normally effective to cause said first pulse generating means togenerate one pulse, the operation of said change making means by theactuation of said second detector while said switch is actuated beingeffective to prevent said first pulse generating means from generating apulse and to cause said second pulse generating means to generate threepulses in rapid succession, and means connecting said second pulsegenerator to the discharge means of said second coin receptacle only tothereby pulse three times the coin discharge means of the second coinreceptacle only for a change making operation while said switch isactuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 957,135 5/1910 Asbury 194-13,175,670 3/1965 Ofifutt et al 194-10 2,237,132 4/ 1941 Christensen.2,571,596 10/1951 Meredith et al. 194-10 2,876,883 3/1959 Baker et al194-10 3,086,536 4/ 1963 Klopp. 3,200,828 8/1965 Oifutt et al 194-10 X3,335,838 8/1967 Schuller et al 194-10 SAMUEL F, COLEMAN, PrimaryExaminer

